The Red Wings have gone a season-high six games without a power-play goal, failing to convert on 25 consecutive chances dating back to Feb. 27.

Detroit dropped to 16-19-1 on the road and now trails the St. Louis Blues by seven points in the Central – and third-place Nashville is just two points behind.

The Red Wings allowed a shorthanded goal, and the Kings got a huge power-play goal from Slava Voynov at 8:23 of the third period to take a 4-1 lead.

The Red Wings could not convert on a two-man advantage that lasted 34 seconds early in the period.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock talked before the game about needing to get back to the basics on the power play.

“Focus on winning a faceoff, focus on one breakout, execution when you come in, have a big man at the net and shoot the puck and have good retrievals,'' Babcock said. “Real simple approach. This has been an ongoing thing for us. I think it's in our head more than anything.

“The way to get out of it is be simplified and shoot the puck. We'll get one and get on a roll.''

Not on this night.

Goaltender Jimmy Howard returned after missing the past three games, and two periods of the one before that, with a strained groin.

The Red Wings found themselves in a 2-0 hole following a sluggish first period in which they had trouble getting their legs moving and generating attack.

Justin Williams scored at 6:48, after jamming away at the puck, which Howard couldn't smother.

Anze Kopitar scored shorthanded at 13:15, skating down the right wing and beating Howard with a wrist shot that might have been deflected by Kyle Quincey's stick.

Detroit has allowed 10 shorthanded goals; only New Jersey, with 13, has surrendered more. The Red Wings had allowed only 12 shorthanded goals in the previous three seasons combined.

The Red Wings found some life late in the period and carried over that momentum into the second, spending more time in the offensive zone. It paid off at 4:06, when Hudler took a pass from Henrik Zetterberg and fired in a shot from the slot.

Hudler started the play with a good back-check to force Williams into a turnover in the neutral zone, leading to a quick counter-attack. Hudler has 21 goals, two short of his career high set in 2008-09.

The Kings responded at 10:57, on a goal by Drew Doughty.

Doughty flung the puck at the net from just inside the blue line. It deflected off the sticks of two Red Wings, the last of whom was Ian White, who was engaged with Mike Richards in the slot.

Johan Franzen scored his 26th goal with 6:30 remaining in the third period, but it was too little, too late.

Jeff Carter scored into an empty net with 20.1 seconds to play.

The Red Wings were unable to complete the four-game season series sweep of the Kings.